Fish-rod.



M. L. ATEN.

FISH ROD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1910.

Patented July 11, 1911.

gmamm-hoo 1 l1 Lhcvkt 1 UNITED STATES PATE oFFIoE.

MERRITT ATEN, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR E ONE-TWELFTH TO WILLIS L.

MYGRANTS, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN;

FISH-ROD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,172.

i To all whom 'it may concern:

.stream or water is overhung with trees and shrubbery, or when it is desirable to cast with accuracy, the usual method requires great skill and often times is not successful.

This invention relates to fish rods, and more particularly to an arrangement therefor for casting whereby the fly or bait may be directed as desired regardless of surrounding obstacles.

The invention consists in the matters here- W inafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, with guard partly broken away, of a fish rod embodying features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in section on or about line mm of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view in detail of a latch and release mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a view of a modification of the rod.

As herein shown, a tubular butt 1, with grip 2 and reel rings 3, or the like, has a plunger 4 with stem 5 which extends through a guide aperture in the upper end of the butt, the latter being preferably contracted, or tapered. The stem 5 forms the rod tip, and may obviously be formed of sections jointed in the usual manner. A spring 6 in the butt is compressed by the plunger when the latter is moved toward the handle. A stop 7 on the plunger plays in a longitudinal slot 8 in the butt, and may be brought into engagement with any one of several notches 9 in the margin of the slot by giving the stem 5 a part turn. A latch 10, preferably a forked plate with parallel arms, is longitudinally movable between guide lugs 11 on the butt along the slot, and has notches with beveled or inclined cam faces 12 in register with the guide slot notches, which push the stop out of the latter and'allow the spring 6 to project the plunger and stem when the latch is manipulated by its outturned end 13 which forms a finger pull adjacent the grip 2. A spring 14 on the latch engaging a lug 15 on the butt normally holds the latch in inoperative position. V

A guard plate or shield 16 detachably interlocks with the latch guide lugs, as by invturned flanges 17 underrunning the under cut outer margins of the latter, or is otherwise removably secured over the latch and slot. An elastic buffer 18 of suitable material is placed in the upper end of the buttto arrest the plunger at its forward limit of motion and a plug 19 screwthreaded or otherwise removably secured in the grip end of the butt permits the removal of the plunger and spring.

A bait rest 20, preferably in the form of a flange or angle plate, is secured on the outer end of the tip or stem 5 and suitable guides are likewise provided,

The spring may be replaced by compressed air and such construction is indicated in Fig. 4, in which the stem 5 is mounted on the closed end of a cylinder 22 reciprocable in the butt, and provided with a stop 23 with locking and release means as above described. An extension 24: from the butt plug 25 has a piston 26 fitting the cylinder.

In operation, the stem or tip is pushed into the butt until the desired compression of the spring or air is obtained and is locked by turning the stop on the plunger or cy]-,

inder into one of the notches in the: slot. The bait is then placed on the rest, the rod pointed in the proper direction, and the latch pullv drawn back by the finger of the user. The projection of the stem' by the spring or compressed air when the stop is released throws the bait and the line straight out from the rod.- This prevents it or the bait lodging in surrounding trees or shrubs as the back cast necessary with the ordinary rod is avoided. By varying the degree of compression of the spring or air, and thumbing the, reel in the usual manner the distance of the cast may be nicely regulated.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim as my invention is 2-.

1. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt, a plunger reciprocable and rotatable therein, a stop on the plunger engaging a longitudinal slot in the butt and interlocking with a notch in the slot mar 'n when the plunger is turned, a longitu inally reciprocable latch adapted to move the stop out of the notch when the latch is retracted, means in the butt for projecting the plunger when the stop is released, and a stem extending from the'plunger through aguide aperture in the end of the butt and forming a rodtip.

2. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt closed at its lower end and provided with a guide aperture at its other end, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stem extendlng from the plunger through the guide aperture, a. stop on the plunger sliding in a longitudinal slot in the butt and engaging a marginal notch in the slot when the plunger is turned, a latch longitudinally reciprocahle on the butt adapted to move the stop out of engagement with the notch when the latch is retracted, and means between the plunger and closed end of the butt adapted to project the plunger when the latch moves the stop out of the notch.

3. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt having a longitudinal slot with marginal notches, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stem extending from the plunger through a guide aperture in the upper end of the butt and forming the pole tip, a stop on the plunger reciprocable in the butt slotadapted to enter'any one of the notches when broughtinto register therewith by movement of the plunger, a latch reciprocable on the butt having cam faces adjacent the slot adapted to eject the stop from a notch when the latch is retracted, a spring normally holding the latch clear of the stop, and means in the butt adapted to project the plunger when the stop is released from the notch.

4. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt having a longitudinal slot with notches at intervals in the margin thereof, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stop on the plunger reciprocable in the butt slot adapted to he moved into any one of the notches by movement of the plunger, guide lugs on the butt adjacent the slot, a bifurcated latch reciprocable in the lugs having cam faces on one of its arms adapted to eject the stop from the notches when the latch is retracted, a spring normally holding the latch disengaged from the stop, a grip on the butt, a finger pull on the latch adjacent the grip, and means in the butt adapted to project the plunger when the stop is ejected from the notch by the latch.

5. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt having a. longitudinal slot with notches at intervals in the margins thereof, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stop on the plungaged from the stop, a grip on the butt, a finger pull on the latch adjacent the grip, 4

means in the butt adapted to project the plunger when the stop is ejected from the notch by the latch, and a guard plate removably secured on the butt over the latch and slot.

6. A fish rod comprising a tubular butt,

a plug detachably secured to the lower end thereof, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stem extending from the plunger through a guide aperture in the upper end of the butt, a bait rest on the outer extremity of the stem, a stop on the plunger reciprocable in a longitudinal slot in the butt adapted to engage any one of a series of notches formed in the margin of the slot to lock the plunger in retracted position, guide lugs on the butt adjacent the slot, a spring pressed latch reciprocable in the guide lugs adapted to move the stop out of engagement with the notch when the latch is retracted, a guard plate detachably secured on the butt over the latch and slot, a grip on the lower end ot' the butt, a finger pull on the latch adjacent the grip, and means within the butt adapted to project the plunger when the stop is released.

7. In a. fish rod, a hollow butt having a longitudinal slot with notches in the margins thereof, a plunger reciprocable in the butt, a stem on the plunger extending through a guide aperture in the upper end of the but-t, a plug removably secured in the lower end of the butt, a spring in compression between the plug and the plunger, a stop on the plunger reciprocable in the slot adapted to enter any one of the slot notches when the plunger is retracted andturned, a grip on the lower end of the butt, a spring latch longitudinally reciprocable on the butt adjacent the slot provided with cam faces adapted to eject the stop from a notch with which it is engaged when the latch is retracted, a finger pull on the latch adjacent the grip, and a. bait rest on the outer end of the stem.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRITT L. ATEN. 

